Category: KCKCC

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Just when things looked the bleakest for Kansas City Kansas Community College Wednesday, the Lady Blue Devils’ defense stepped front and center.

Trailing the Jayhawk Conference’s highest scoring team by 14 points late in the first quarter, the Blue Devils limited No. 8 ranked Highland to three field goals in the second quarter and five in the third to rally for a 69-56 win.

“Our best defensive effort; the win we’ve needed all year long,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “Highland is really good, fast and athletic and they really stretch you out. But our girls did a great job of helping each other out, playing defense for more than one or two steps and focusing on the whole possession.”

Indeed, the 56 points are a season low for the Lady Scotties. In fact, it was only the third time Highland (20-3) has been held under 70 points this season (they scored 62 against Labette, 63 against JCCC).

Averaging 91.4 points, the Scotties put 120 points on the board against Hesston last Saturday and dealt KCKCC a 93-73 setback just 2½ weeks ago.

The win was the third in a row for the Blue Devils, who improved to 24-5 overall and 5-4 in the Jayhawk heading into the conference final at No. 7 ranked Johnson County Saturday at 2 p.m.

KCKCC will then play host to either Hesston or Fort Scott in a first-round Region VI playoff game Friday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m.

Catalysts in the win were 6-1 freshman Kamryn Estell and a quartet of guards who combined for 30 rebounds against the much taller Scotties. Although none stand taller than 5-foot-7, Aliyah Myers had nine rebounds, Tiaira Earnest eight, Brodi Byrd seven and Diamond Williams six.

“Our guards were fantastic,” McKinstry said. In addition, Myers had 14 points and four assists and Byrd 11 points.

Estell also had eight rebounds and a team high 16 points but her effort in cutting off the baseline and Highland drives down the lane was paramount to the defense.

“Kamryn is the best help defender I’ve ever had,” McKinstry said. “She’s big and strong and does a great job of recognizing what is needed and closes off (lanes) for the other team.”

Limited to just two field goals (2-of-12) and guilty of five turnovers, the Blue Devils trailed 19-5 late in the first quarter and were still down 23-13 with four minutes left in the half before Myers and Estell pulled KCKCC to 25-24. Myers and Estell each had two field goals and Jada Mayberry one with Myers finishing off the 11-2 run with a 3-pointer.

The lead changed hands three times and the game was tied five times in the third quarter when KCKCC went ahead to stay. Adoreya Williams broke a 41-41 tie with a layup and Mercer Roberts drained a long 3-pointer for a 46-41 three-quarter lead.

“That 3-pointer was huge,” McKinstry said.

Highland made two big fourth quarter challenges, closing to 48-46 but Diamond Williams made two free throws and Byrd converted a 3-point play for a 53-46 edge. The Scotties closed again to 54-49 with five minutes to go but Myers knocked down a trey and Estell scored off a Myers’ rebound for a 59-49 lead and the Blue Devils expanded the margin from the free throw line.

Statistically, free throws were the difference. KCKCC made 24-of-35 including 20-of-25 the second half against a Highland team that leads the conference in fouls by a wide margin. Guilty of 26 fouls, just three over their season average, the Scotties were 7-of-17 from the foul line.

“Even early in the game I thought our defense was good,” McKinstry said. “Our focus all day was to attack, attach with the dribble. It took a while but once we figured it out, we got to the rim or it opened opportunities or we got fouled. It was a great sustained effort, one we haven’t been able to sustain. So I was very pleased the girls found out what it feels like. It’s not easy but it’s worth it.”

The loss dropped Highland into a tie for second place with Johnson County in the Jayhawk (5-3) two games back of champion Labette (8-1).

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

With one exception, Kansas City Kansas Community College scored a wealth of runs on its annual spring trip to Texas but not enough to prevent a four-game split.

The Blue Devils opened with a 13-1 win over Eastfield Community College on Friday and took the opening game of a doubleheader 9-8 on Saturday only to be blanked 7-0 in the nightcap and drop a 9-8 decision to Brookhaven on Sunday.

The Blue Devils now return home for a five-game home stand starting with doubleheaders with Northeast Nebraska Saturday and Sunday starting at noon each day.

“A good start, especially fighting back to win Saturday’s first game and again on Sunday,” KCKCC coach Matt Goldbeck said. “Even though we scored big in three games, I feel like we can be even better offensively. Pitching-wise, it’s going to be a work in progress in developing our bullpen.”

Standout pitching performances highlighted the two wins. Veteran southpaw Osvaldo Mendez allowed just three hits and one run in six innings of the 13-1 win Friday and Basehor-Linwood freshman Chase Terrell pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief as the Blue Devils rallied for the 9-8 win Saturday.

Terrell came on in relief of starter Gaby Ramos with the Blue Devils trailing 8-3 and gave up just two hits, walking two and striking out two for his first collegiate win.

Griffin Everitt and Palmer Hutchinson provided the early offense with home runs before the Blue Devils won it with six runs on six hits in the bottom of the sixth.

Zayne Morrow started the winning rally with a double and after a walk, Lansing’s Caleb Adams and Raymond Paniagua singled in runs. After Everitt was hit with a base-loaded pitch, Eduardo Acosta singled in two runs, Tyler Henry singled and Hutchinson gave KCKCC the lead with a 2-run double.

Hutchinson also had a solo home run in the fourth and Everitt homered and Jose Sosa singled in a run in a 2-run first.

However, the Blue Devils were limited to just two hits in the 7-0 second game loss – a leadoff triple by Seth Kenagy in the first and a 2-out single by Everitt in the third.

Jackson Phillips worked the first six innings for Richland, striking out nine and walking three. Starter Tyler Kapraun gave up four runs on two hits and four walks and Palmer Waddle three runs on five hits before Nao Fukuda finished with 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out two.

KCKCC trailed 4-0 and 7-4 before Brookhaven walked off a 9-8 win Sunday. Sosa homered and singled and Kenagy, Adams and Cole Slilbowski had two hits each for the Blue Devils.

Trailing 4-0, KCKCC tied the game in the seventh. Singles by Henry, Sosa and Adams scored one run, Slibowski’s sacrifice fly scored another and Kenagy tied it with a 2-out, 2-run single.

Brookhaven retook a 7-4 lead but the Blue Devils pulled even again on Sosa’s 2-run home run and hits by Adams and Slibowski.

After Jonathan Boyer’s leadoff home run in the eighth put Brookhaven back in front 8-7, KCKCC pulled even in the ninth on a Kenagy single and an error only to have Brookhaven win in the ninth on a double, balk and one-out wild pitch. The Blue Devils used five pitchers, Josiah Crowley, Jake Shafer, Hunter Cashero, Fukada and Mathis Mauldin.

Mendez got the Blue Devils started on the road trip with a win Friday, allowing no hits over the first 5 1/3 innings in the 13-1 win over Richland.

Mendez struck out six in six innings and walked none before Cashero, Steven Santiago and Maulden finished up, each working one scoreless inning.

“A dominant performance by Mendez,” Goldbeck said. “He really pounded the strike zone.”

Acosta belted a 3-run home run and drove in four runs; Kenagy singled twice and scored three times; and Everitt drove in a pair of runs for the Blue Devils, who were the beneficiary of 12 walks and three hit batsmen.

Acosta’s 3-run homer highlighted a 4-run second inning and the Blue Devils scored six times in the fifth on just one hit, a 2-run single by Everitt.